468 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



in establishing reserves and protecting them from fire, but they need 

 more funds, and such an organization as yours should be of tre- 

 mendous help in getting these funds. 



The destruction of the standing timber by fire is not the only 

 loss to the forest. The forester calls the seedlings and young trees 

 in the forest his growing stock, and the value of this growing stock 

 for the production of future f(?rests is often nearly as great as the 

 value of the merchantable timber in the forest. If a commercial 

 nurseryman has the young trees in his nursery destroyed by fire re- 

 sulting from the carelessness of some individual or corporation, 

 there would be no trouble in his getting full damages in any court 

 in the land, yet any man who seeks to get damages for the destruc- 

 tion of the growing stock in his forest is almost laughed at to-day. 

 The time is coming rapidly, however, when the value of the growing 

 stock will be fully appreciated and it will be no trouble in getting 

 damages for the destruction of such property. Another loss from 

 fire which is not ordinarily considered is the loss to the forest from 

 the destruction of the humus which covers the forest floor. This 

 humus, which is formed by the decay of leaves and debris, has a 

 very large water capacity, and acts like a sponge in holding rain 

 and snow water and giving it off gradually to springs and streams. 

 When the humus is destroyed by fire the water rushes rapidly from 

 our hillsides and we have freshets and floods and droughts, such as 

 occurred last fall throughout this State. The humus has also a very 

 great manurial value, and as the fertility of our agricultural soils is 

 exhausted we will turn as the Europeans have to the humus of the 

 forest as a fertilizer, and where not removed too extensively from 

 the forest it may become an important source of organic material 

 for the enrichment of agricultural land. Finality, not only is the 

 humus destroyed by fire, but over large sections the soil itself is 

 so burned that it will be years before sufficient soil can again ac- 

 cumulate to support forest growth. In the absence of the humus, 

 melting snow and rainwater washes the soil from hillsides in vast 

 quantities covering and destroying farm lands and filling our navi- 

 gable streams and harbors. We believe in the improvement of our 

 water ways,, and yet if some of the vast amounts which have been 

 expended in this country for waterway improvement could be spent 

 at the headwaters of the streams in protecting and maintaining the 

 forest, very much less would have to be spent in dredging and deep- 

 ening channels. 



FUTURE OF PENNSYLVANIA FORESTS. 



Some of you may be asking, after what has been said, if any- 

 thing is left in Pennsylvania with which to practice forestry. There 

 is by all means, but the present condition of the mountains and hill- 

 sides of the State have been and is a standing shame before our 

 people. Thousands and thousands of acres have been made barren 

 wastes that a little money may be accumulated, and it is going to 

 take more money than was received from the sale of the forest to so 

 reforest these wastes that we may prevent droughts and floods; 

 make our navigable streams really navigable, and bring these waste 

 lands back to a condition of profit with returns coming annually to 

 the State. Much timber is still standing in the State, largely in the 

 form of woodlots and isolated tracts, and it is probable that porta- 



